Printing with plants by Chloé K.
Written by Chloe K.
I've been working with plants - leaves, flowers and roots - for over thirty years. Either as a photographic subject, or as the raw material for my creations. My main source of inspiration is my garden of wild grasses.
Sometimes, during my daily strolls, I find them along the paths I walk along.
Among other things, I use them in inked prints. Profits from sales of these creations are entirely donated to shelters or sanctuaries.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0644/0638/8982/files/348372975_247699621203562_2901558496098734267_n_480x480_3ed33c9b-b6b6-4332-b935-18f39bc1bba6_480x480.webp?v=1707840303)
For the prints, you need freshly picked leaves or flowers. The more veins the leaf has, the more surprising the result. I like to work with sage or viburnum leaves, whose trace leaves remarkably detailed patterns.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0644/0638/8982/files/WhatsApp_Image_2023-06-05_at_18.03.05_3_480x480_b957f346-4b12-4ae7-a01c-b2e0b3ba0309_480x480.webp?v=1707840326)
This spring, I also used daffodils and tulips from the garden. I ink them using ink rollers, on both sides of the plant used. I work mainly with Charbonnel aqua wash inks.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0644/0638/8982/files/348381194_1190865738154005_1667524483053233777_n_480x480_2fcc81df-26bb-40d2-82b9-a0fd26f6275a_480x480.webp?v=1707840343)
I use two to four different inking plates, because I like the play of nuances that the inks allow me to give to my prints. Sometimes I use a monochrome, but that's rarer.
When the plant is ready, I place it on my support, which can range from dense 300g/m² watercolor paper to recycled sheets. I like to work with pages from old books I've salvaged, or sheet music. The format will depend on the leaf or flower to be printed, and on my desires.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0644/0638/8982/files/WhatsApp_Image_2023-06-05_at_18.03.07_4_480x480_fdfd815c-8882-4f90-943f-9a477b75b654_480x480.webp?v=1707840360)
To be able to produce fairly large monotypes, I bought an A3-size linocut press from RITUALIS PRESS, which is portable, robust, easy to use and very practical. I work in my studio room, with the lino press on a large stool. On the plant to be printed, I add another paper, which can be the same as the base paper, but it's not compulsory. Once the leaf or flower has been delicately placed between the two papers, I manually press it for a few seconds.
The result is always a surprise for me. I love delicately removing the top paper and discovering the interplay of inks, plants and pressure.
The possibilities are endless, depending on my inspiration.
Chloé K.
PS: You can see Chloé's creation on website: www.chloeka.com or Instagram page.
Chloé K.
PS: You can see Chloé's creation on website: www.chloeka.com or Instagram page.